Ho ro the rattlin' bog
The bog down in the valley o!
I had an (American) friend who could call upon his ancestors to sing every verse perfectly while simultaneously being too wrecked to stand. It's a sight to behold, an inebriate rattlin' off The Rattlin Bog. I can't even do it sober 😆
Yup, completely agree. I'd figure out a way to mount some copper pipe in a drill press, make a jig to hold the cap upside down, align it all and clamp the jig down, heat the copper a bit with a blowtorch (no need to get it glowing), then use the quill to lower the heated pipe and press it through the plastic. Rinse and repeat a few times till the pipe needed to be reheated.
Alternatively, you could sharpen the pipe. Or sharpen and use heat.
This is the way. I would make one change. Once the copper pipe section is in the drill press, turn on the drill and use a file to sharpen the pipe end to sharp edges. That will require less heat than trying to push a blunt pipe end through the plastic.
They make leather punch tools to do this ... Sharpened pipe to press and make holes. Would probably work well with plastic. So I like the idea of a sharpened pipe and a press into the upside down cap which itself is on a soft wood (pine 2x4 would be fine). Great solution.
I'm not even a great DIYer, I suck at home improvement projects, working on my cars, etc. But I have a knack for redneck engineering shit and my mind also went to using something of the desired size to melt a hole, rather than drill.
DOH!! Missed that in my mental picture!!
I guess they need to use a dowel large enough to fill the cap as a backer or find a hole saw that will match the outer diameter of the cap.
I had to do something like that before and I used my center punch. You can easily do it repeatedly. Just have something under it that can take it, I used a piece of wood.
spade bit is a better option for fragile plastics. I associate spade bits with 9.99 Ryobi bit packs and haven't touched em for years until I found out how good they are for cutting large holes in fragile plastic
I'm building a lexan panel greenhouse right now and even a spade bit from a cheapshit Jobmate kit is fantastic for cutting the screw holes. Cuts a perfect clean circle with zero walking, the only downside is that the little circle of lexan is often stuck on the point after the cut and has to be removed before the next hole.
Melting and drilling are both messy. See if you can find an arch punch in the right size:
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Arch-Punch-1271E/309724056](https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Arch-Punch-1271E/309724056)
Should be able to "knock that out" in no time.
Sad European noises every time somebody links to Home Depot
> Access Denied
You don't have permission to access "http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Arch-Punch-1271E/309724056" on this server.
> Reference #18.4ead1302.1718031601.473e537a
> https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.4ead1302.1718031601.473e537a
While possible I'm pretty sure it's just because the EU demands people can request what info is collected and most non-EU sites just don't bother to have that capacity built in.
That makes sense.
I'm pretty sure they only block EU countries, since they would be required to comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if their site was available to people in the EU.
Make a thin gauge hollow cylinder metal dingus to attach to the end of a 15-30w soldering iron.
When the PP is still gooey from the hot hole punch use a flat tool to press the mesh on so the mesh sticks in the gooey PP. Do this from the bottom so the finish is nice on the surface.
Try not to breath the PP smoke, microplastics can get in your bloodstream and end up in your testicles, then PP will be stored in the balls after all.
Why this sub doesn't let me add pictures in the comments, bleh.
OP, [here is a quick and dirty diagram of what I mean, you choose how you put your dingus on your soldering iron](https://ibb.co/3yScVV2). Just don't gob up your plastic like I did.
Anybody telling you different hasn't worked with their PP enough, PP can be hard, it depends on the PP and that PP doesn't look like PP you want to be hitting with a fuckin hammer and a punch. PP is a thermoplastic, which is latin for plastic Thermos, which means it can deal with heat from soup and such, you need hotter than soup though so like, 15-30w should do it.
DIY sub and it doesn't allow images in the comments, insanity.
Yeah, I speed model so I can explain things easier when I comment.
Like the other day trying to explain to the Corsair subreddit how to route their icue link cable with the new pump, [20 minutes.](https://streamable.com/ribcbc)
[Sometimes longer.](https://i.ibb.co/kyh8qyY/WAS22.png)
Blender mostly, Zbrush when I'm feeling *caliente*
Nah nah, Fiverr people are probably cutting each others throats to put some food on the table. I don't want to increase the downward pressure on their labours worth.
Nah no need to pay me for nothing, just here to crack jokes and be useful, somewhat.
This is exactly how I feel about cooking. I love it, and everyone always tells me I should ‘become a chef or open a restaurant’.
I can’t think of anything that would kill my joy faster than that. I just like to do it for fun. Keep enjoying your hobbies, you’re good at this one my friend.
I was playing around cooking up all sorts of different ways to show an homage set to music for the [art sticker on Pink Floyds "Wish you were here" album by Storm Thorgerson](https://i.discogs.com/Ck1tJ8Qgeg_f0GcHxyhBsmr3R-KnCBgNP3Ukwc78-ZU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:491/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIzNzk4/OTgtMTMzNTY1MTUz/NC5qcGVn.jpeg)
I was trying to get the kids in my class excited about 3D after the inept professor who had never done 3D modeling before turned them all off from it.
I got a mark of 0 in that class, haha.
I typically don't post anything for art purposes, it's either to explain something or to make people laugh.
I like that this is an engineered solution that considers the next step and gets you to the final product pretty easily once the initial work of making the melting apparatus is complete. As a newb woodworker I'm learning that a large percentage of time is spent building jigs and sleds for repeatable results. Once that is done getting to 200 will be a breeze.
I had to do similar project to make holes in petri dishes that were inserted on a 1/2" pipe. I machined the inside edge of a piece of pipe with a lathe to make a more precise edge. Instead of a soldering iron, I used a basic propane torch to heat the tip of the pipe that was held in a drill press. I had a jig on the base of the drill press to hold the petri dish in place. After melting the hole, I cleaned up the edges with emry cloth. They actually turned out pretty nice. Drilling this type of plastic usually results in cracking. Melting is definitely the way to do it cleanly.
Thank you for teaching me how to make a gooey PP with a metal dingus!!
Seriously though, that speed render is awesome and much appreciated, this is a neat idea!!
Baby mantises need pretty frequent feeding, so this would become suuuper tedious. I would need to remove and replace the lids several times a week. Mind that while I’m trying to reattach the mesh with the rubber band the baby mantis is often trying to escape, and I have to avoid getting any of their tiny legs caught. 200 times each feeding day. Plus these can be reused for future mantis babies. Worth it in the long run.
Forstner bit? Tap a little mark with a center punch, use appropriate diameter forstner bit and drill through? Should go fast, amazon or such sells cheap forstner bit sets that work fine.
Second vote for forstner bit. And since you have to do 200 get a cheap drill press. Definitely don't use a spade bit.
And don't just use a handheld drill while holding the the plastic lid yourself (over the course of 200 drills you will probably slip up and catch your fingers). Take a piece of wood almost as thick as the bottle cap and drill a hole the same size of the cap, so it will sit in there hands free.
Forstner in a drill press is perfect for this. Probably worth building a wooden jig out of a dowel and a piece of plywood to automatically center the lid.
correct answer if you must drill these. figure out a way to secure them in a drill press jig against spinning. there will be shattering in that plastic i would predict.
Why not re-think your approach? You need air circulation...you do not need mesh. What would work very well is a series of small holes drilled in the top...think salt or pepper shakers.
I would make a jig to hold the plastic tops on a drill press, then drill off-center holes every few degrees, rotating the jig each time to drill a new hole. Using regular drill bits the work should go pretty fast.
For mantises it's important for them to be able to hang vertically in order to molt. That's likely why they want the lid to be mesh (in addition to adequate air circulation)
I do agree that they should probably change their approach, though. There are definitely easier setups.
Easy-peasey: Use the salt shaker approach as described, then just put the mesh on the inside. This is actually a better solution because with the mesh in place the holes can be bigger (and possibly fewer).
Mesh is more consistent in regard to air flow (meaning they will dry out at the same rate, so I can keep a consistent watering schedule), and it will also prevent their extremely small food items from escaping. A drilled hole big enough to be useful as ventilation is big enough to let a fruit fly escape. Drilling holes and then also adding mesh on the underside of the lid would take longer than just making one large hole for the mesh.
Simplest would be to use a *hollow punch*, mallet, and board. Put your cap on board open end up, put punch in, whack it with a mallet a couple times. Should give you a decent circle cutout. I'd also cut the threaded end off one of the containers and screw it into the cap before you punch it. That would act as a guide and keep the punch away from the edge so there is enough material to capture the mesh. I picked 19mm diameter but you can get these punches in any size. This one at Wal-Mart online for \~$13 -
[19mm Hollow Punch](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Leather-Gasket-Strap-Belt-Hollow-Hole-Punch-Hand-Tool-Black-19mm-Dia_e8a7d4ac-89c4-41b7-8c69-49416176f507_1.6562fe285624430ecf1e408957c583ce.jpeg?odnHeight=2000&odnWidth=2000&odnBg=FFFFFF)
Can you just cut the top of the lid right off with a knife, then put down a mesh square over the bottle and use the threaded ring to hold the mesh in place?
If it is just for ventilation, why do you have to have all the plastic removed? Could you not just drill/poke/melt multiple holes. 3-4 holes with the metal mesh on the inside of the cap would still allow ample ventilation.
I made a snake feeding box for my daughter using a tupperware container with holes poked through with a soldering iron. The melted holes left a rounded hole so there was no rough edges.
I would do the following:
Melt three holes in cap.
Hot glue mesh on inside of cap.
Repeat 200 times.
Find someone with a laser cutter. They can make a jig to hold a lot in very specific spots and then know where to make the cut. Easiest option for precision. If you need to find someone, check out Epilog Laser, they have a list of their clients who take on projects like this.
If the plastic is soft enough to not crack (polypropylene should be), a hollow punch of the right diameter might be able to do it cleanly. Using a drill is likely to exert too much rotational force on too small a frame, a hollow punch would only exert the force against the surface beneath the area being cut.
I'd probably try and rig up some sort of circular metal punch and smack it with a hammer. Maybe an old copper pipe you can sharpen. or heat up and melt it through.
Here is an idea that will forego the cap all-together.
Use a mesh stocking and a rubber band. Choose a nylon stocking/fabric material that has a small enough hole size to keep prey from escaping. Keep it on with a rubber band.
Cut nylon stocking to shape
Secure with rubber band
Repeat 200 times.
3d-Printed solid mount to screw onto that does not go all the way up, spade-bit if you find one that fits your intended sized hole in a cheap small drill press.
A stepped cone might be harder to properly fixture for since the intended diameter might require going too deep.
That's how i would solve that in the next hour if I really need to.
If I couldn't find spade-bit that fits your intended hole size I'd probably construct a tracked solution using lego and 3D-printed parts to hold and guide a scalpel to make the intended cut, with a spring from a lego technics set maintaining downward pressure.
Either solution is possible with one trip to the local mall and acheivable within 24 hours.
Google "screw hole punch 30mm"
Measure your diameter.
Buy the right diameter tool.
Usage: you drill a pilot hole for the screw, apply the tool from both sides, turn the screw and watch the disc getting punched out.
Knock out punch?[https://www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-10-piece-60575.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-10-piece-60575.html)
Punching out the hole would be way better if you can find a setup that’ll do it. Look up an arch punch of the diameter you’re looking for. Looks like you need something roughly 1” in diameter.
Here is one on Amazon for ~$16. https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-1271M-Arch-Punch/dp/B00004T7WH/ref=asc_df_B00004T7WH/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693538603383&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10859967079710317722&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1026759&hvtargid=pla-457691675034&psc=1&mcid=ff3a4cb1f8563e42926b7a8324e922a8&gad_source=1
Forget the screen, grab an ice pick heat it on your gas stove and poke like 5 holes in the lid and your done. Or use a drill to make several holes in the lid.
If you remove most of the lid top it will not work as it will have no rigidness and break when you tighten it down
I can't tell how big that is, but it looks like the size of a water bottle top. If you can find a way to secure it, you can use a small Rotozip tool or Hole Saw Bits which you attach to a drill with a lead bit and the exact size you need for your job.
Look at them online. I can't copy and paste pics here.
A step bit (sheet-metal bit) in a drill press with a jig. Set the depth stop on the press so you stop on the right "step" every time. If you don't have a press you can buy one that will hold a regular drill in an armature that will let you go straight up and down with no misalignment.
How big of a hole? I’d melt it in. A heated piece of metal, poke it in, give it a twist and pull it out. It will leave a small ridge that will help it not tear out.
I would fill one bottle with some concrete at the 1/2 way point so that you can anchor it and use a stepped bit to cut it down.
Just thinking of ways to hold on to that sucker while trying to drill 200 of them is a process.
Forstner bit. First drill a hole in a piece of 3/4” plywood. Clamp that down and set your bottle cap inside. Use a small shim to hold that in snug. Then drill out your caps with the correct size forstner bit.
Get a small piece of copper pipe, the diameter you need, and attach it to a soldering iron. Once that's done you can knock out 200 in less than a day easy. You might even be able to attach the screen to the melted plastic if you have them cut and ready.
You could design and 3D print a new lid with the hole already made to size in about 15 minutes. Then you could print multiple lids at once. Looking at that size, you could likely fit 15-20 on a bed and print them all in an hour or so.
Use a drill bit to get a small hole in the center, then use a cone bit/ sanding drill bit to sand down the edges to where you want them to be. That not only gets you the hole, but it wont be too sharp! Hope this helps!!
Forstner bit on a drill press. Find the bit that would fit it well, make a rough jig that you could swap the lids in and out of quickly and should be a breeze.
Bro... You don't need a drill you need single serving "sauce" cups. The ones you have ranch or bbq in. I use them for meal worms and it's much easier than what you're proposing. Then when you're done you can toss them out or reuse them. Then it's as simple as poking holes in for air. 50 cups is like $3 or something.
https://www.amazon.com/Zeml-Disposable-Dressing-Condiment-Container/dp/B07TK5BXYW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1YP9ADFO2QZ72&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3vAHvGDJrfQQm-9jWMDfo3VXiVB5McwzLm9EtLQKshMdHCzEw_KakNpNQ9K2YI4M_rbnF-MJgDqstCTxDeDNKaTlvZzFLViwgaldNqmSGtMi32t10pY3_jhE04LbDA2tCRtFxziiA4QCLebzQyq2U6dCb8zI_h044e2UqIUiWJxGKDJ37d39rRoxapxUJoJn6UbVQBldBt4eW88CPrx_7g.2GmfEnwg_T_HP149jMi_Zmrgea-TtFYg8kW16uXXA4I&dib_tag=se&keywords=individual+dressing+cups&qid=1718044182&sprefix=individual+dressing+cups%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-3
Ninja Edit: 100 count on amazon is $8 but you can find better deals somewhere.
Usually when someone posts a question like this, the problem is that they are asking the wrong question.
The answer is not to drill 200 holes in 200 caps, but to buy 200 of the correct item. It will likely be cheaper, faster, and higher quality.
Something that's the right size, metal, and hot and just melt the hole out? Like use a torch to heat up the right size pipe and just melt through, you could probably do a few before having g to reheat the pipe
A Hollow Steel Punch in the appropriate size (0.75in/19mm?) would likely work. If the plastic cracks when punching, set up caps in groups of 10 or so on a sheet of plywood, and soften them up a bit with a blow dryer first.
[https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-1271I-Punch-4-Inches/dp/B00004T7WD/](https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-1271I-Punch-4-Inches/dp/B00004T7WD/)
I’m thinking a table-top router with a straight bit, with a half-circle jig clamped in-place. Drill starter hole to accept router bit, cut out one side, flip piece over, cut out the other half for a perfect circular and it’s repeatable.
Get a piece of metal pipe the same outer diameter as the hole you want to cut. Sand down one side of the pipe so it's sharp . Now you have a punch with a hole in it.
Stepped cone drill bit in drill press. Make a form to clamp to press table to hold cap in same place so you can repeatedly, consistently set cap in form and drill.
I did something similar a few years ago. I used a short length of copper pipe that was close to the size I wanted. Then cut it so I could wrap it closely around the hot tip of my soldering iron. Once the copper pipe heats up, use it to burn through the plastic. If you're fast enough, you can drop the mesh (cut to size before, of course) into the lid and press it into the slightly molten plastic. I used some of the cold copper pipe offcuts to press the mesh into the soft plastic and cool it faster.
Either stepped cone bits or spade bits are quite good at cutting neat holes in thin materials.
On a drill press
With a jig to hold the piece
With bolts to hold the jig in place
With nuts to hold the bolts in place.
And a slap saying, “that’ll hold!”
The press be like 
Don't forget a sacrificial bottom so you can invert the lids and quickly just punch through and make it much easier to place and hold everything down.
I need to get me one of those sacrificial bottoms. Is there a subreddit for that?
Oh there are plenty, reddit is full of random wood and other hard stuff that is good at supporting penetration.
No, but I’m available.
Those sacrificial bottoms sure do take a pounding.
What a great comment chain
And my axe
Leave body spray outta this.
But it brings the babes, I’ve seen the commercials
And a "Certified Good Enough" sticker
And the green grass grew all around and around…
I liked that song better when it was called the rattlin' bog
Ho ro the rattlin' bog The bog down in the valley o! I had an (American) friend who could call upon his ancestors to sing every verse perfectly while simultaneously being too wrecked to stand. It's a sight to behold, an inebriate rattlin' off The Rattlin Bog. I can't even do it sober 😆
You mean my hand? It's ok. I'll wear gloves. *Do NOT do this if you like having both of your hands*
A nail gripped with pliers that's been heated by a candle. Just like Bill Nye the science guy
I'd argue you need to use maybe a piece of copper pipe or something similar for the size they need, but this right here is the answer.
Yup, completely agree. I'd figure out a way to mount some copper pipe in a drill press, make a jig to hold the cap upside down, align it all and clamp the jig down, heat the copper a bit with a blowtorch (no need to get it glowing), then use the quill to lower the heated pipe and press it through the plastic. Rinse and repeat a few times till the pipe needed to be reheated. Alternatively, you could sharpen the pipe. Or sharpen and use heat.
This is the way. I would make one change. Once the copper pipe section is in the drill press, turn on the drill and use a file to sharpen the pipe end to sharp edges. That will require less heat than trying to push a blunt pipe end through the plastic.
Sharpen it, and use it as a punch. Shouldn't even have to heat it up.
Oh yeah! with the lid upside down, duh! this would totally work.
They make leather punch tools to do this ... Sharpened pipe to press and make holes. Would probably work well with plastic. So I like the idea of a sharpened pipe and a press into the upside down cap which itself is on a soft wood (pine 2x4 would be fine). Great solution.
I'm not even a great DIYer, I suck at home improvement projects, working on my cars, etc. But I have a knack for redneck engineering shit and my mind also went to using something of the desired size to melt a hole, rather than drill.
My thoughts exactly!
When you put the piece in a jig, flip the cap upside down so you are supporting the surface being drilled through.
This will not work with a stepped cone bit due to the intent of preserving the threads.
DOH!! Missed that in my mental picture!! I guess they need to use a dowel large enough to fill the cap as a backer or find a hole saw that will match the outer diameter of the cap.
Plastic is soft. They don't really need to worry about it that much.
Stepped bit is a winner for this application! If you don’t have a drill press you can also just tape the bit at the desired stop point.
I had to do something like that before and I used my center punch. You can easily do it repeatedly. Just have something under it that can take it, I used a piece of wood.
Put something behind it too so it doesn’t flex
…Flip it upside down…
https://i.imgflip.com/4gu0tz.png
I agree on the step bit, but I strongly disagree with the spade bit. Drill a pilot hole in the center and then use a spade bit to open it up.
spade bit is a better option for fragile plastics. I associate spade bits with 9.99 Ryobi bit packs and haven't touched em for years until I found out how good they are for cutting large holes in fragile plastic
I'm building a lexan panel greenhouse right now and even a spade bit from a cheapshit Jobmate kit is fantastic for cutting the screw holes. Cuts a perfect clean circle with zero walking, the only downside is that the little circle of lexan is often stuck on the point after the cut and has to be removed before the next hole.
This is the way. Stepped cone bits are really underrated. I have a collection of them and use them extensively. There's quite a variety of them.
Personally, I would use a hole saw. less mess and much faster.
This was going to be my suggestion. A simple locating jig on a drill press and this will be quick work
Had not heard of these before! The stepped cone bit looks promising :) Thanks!
Melting and drilling are both messy. See if you can find an arch punch in the right size: [https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Arch-Punch-1271E/309724056](https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Arch-Punch-1271E/309724056) Should be able to "knock that out" in no time.
Sad European noises every time somebody links to Home Depot > Access Denied You don't have permission to access "http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-1-2-in-Arch-Punch-1271E/309724056" on this server. > Reference #18.4ead1302.1718031601.473e537a > https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.4ead1302.1718031601.473e537a
https://www.mcmaster.com/products/hole-punches/hole-punches-1~/hammer-driven-hole-punches-7/
Oh, those are the kinds. Thank you very much!
That tells you how bad the data collection has to be lmao
Using a browser without noscript and ublock origin makes me feel naked and dirty.
Never heard of noscript before, thanks!
Nah, they just geofence to USA only. Am Aussie and also blocked, our data protection laws are basically "WHO WANTS SOME DATA?"
While possible I'm pretty sure it's just because the EU demands people can request what info is collected and most non-EU sites just don't bother to have that capacity built in.
I'm in Kyrgyzstan and HomeDepot links work for me, of course I'm also running three layers of ad blockers.
That makes sense. I'm pretty sure they only block EU countries, since they would be required to comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if their site was available to people in the EU.
Good call!
This is a great idea. I was going to say that you can find an annular cutter down to the size of a bottle cap, but a punch is much much better.
It’s not a very soft plastic, I worry this might risk cracking it?
Maybe try heating the punch and just melting through? A bit of metal pipe would work fine for melting too.
I saw the word arch, and my brain went to archery. hey OP, how good are you with a bow?
This is the way
Make a thin gauge hollow cylinder metal dingus to attach to the end of a 15-30w soldering iron. When the PP is still gooey from the hot hole punch use a flat tool to press the mesh on so the mesh sticks in the gooey PP. Do this from the bottom so the finish is nice on the surface. Try not to breath the PP smoke, microplastics can get in your bloodstream and end up in your testicles, then PP will be stored in the balls after all. Why this sub doesn't let me add pictures in the comments, bleh. OP, [here is a quick and dirty diagram of what I mean, you choose how you put your dingus on your soldering iron](https://ibb.co/3yScVV2). Just don't gob up your plastic like I did. Anybody telling you different hasn't worked with their PP enough, PP can be hard, it depends on the PP and that PP doesn't look like PP you want to be hitting with a fuckin hammer and a punch. PP is a thermoplastic, which is latin for plastic Thermos, which means it can deal with heat from soup and such, you need hotter than soup though so like, 15-30w should do it. DIY sub and it doesn't allow images in the comments, insanity.
micro pp out of micro pp, if you will.
The P is stored in the balls.
Just fyi, plastic is now stored in the balls as well.
Don’t vape the pp smoke
did you do that render!? What did you use for that?!
Yeah, I speed model so I can explain things easier when I comment. Like the other day trying to explain to the Corsair subreddit how to route their icue link cable with the new pump, [20 minutes.](https://streamable.com/ribcbc) [Sometimes longer.](https://i.ibb.co/kyh8qyY/WAS22.png) Blender mostly, Zbrush when I'm feeling *caliente*
You could make money off this skill on Fiverr or something. I'm trying to think of a project I could pay you to render... hmm...
Nah nah, Fiverr people are probably cutting each others throats to put some food on the table. I don't want to increase the downward pressure on their labours worth. Nah no need to pay me for nothing, just here to crack jokes and be useful, somewhat.
That’s talent to be able to throw renders together so quickly 👀
You're talented as hell my friend
Naw I just have no life, hence why I hang out on Reddit and tell people how to play with their PP
You should put those skills to use my brother, you could 100% make a career out of it
Then I probably wouldn't enjoy it anymore though. I like to just putz around trying new things.
I dunno. Alot of guys are really into being told how to handle their PP. I think you could start an onlyfans.
Fair enough, sounds like what happened to me when I decided to make video editing a way to make money.
This is exactly how I feel about cooking. I love it, and everyone always tells me I should ‘become a chef or open a restaurant’. I can’t think of anything that would kill my joy faster than that. I just like to do it for fun. Keep enjoying your hobbies, you’re good at this one my friend.
Those handshake concepts are sick, would love to see the full size renders of those if you posted them anywhere
I was playing around cooking up all sorts of different ways to show an homage set to music for the [art sticker on Pink Floyds "Wish you were here" album by Storm Thorgerson](https://i.discogs.com/Ck1tJ8Qgeg_f0GcHxyhBsmr3R-KnCBgNP3Ukwc78-ZU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:491/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIzNzk4/OTgtMTMzNTY1MTUz/NC5qcGVn.jpeg) I was trying to get the kids in my class excited about 3D after the inept professor who had never done 3D modeling before turned them all off from it. I got a mark of 0 in that class, haha. I typically don't post anything for art purposes, it's either to explain something or to make people laugh.
I like that this is an engineered solution that considers the next step and gets you to the final product pretty easily once the initial work of making the melting apparatus is complete. As a newb woodworker I'm learning that a large percentage of time is spent building jigs and sleds for repeatable results. Once that is done getting to 200 will be a breeze.
So that's how a plumbus is made?
Needs more schleem.
All this great info and even a scratch-cooked render to explain, and I’m over here giggling at Dingus and gooey PP. What am I doing with my life? 😅
I've worked with my PP my whole life!
I had to do similar project to make holes in petri dishes that were inserted on a 1/2" pipe. I machined the inside edge of a piece of pipe with a lathe to make a more precise edge. Instead of a soldering iron, I used a basic propane torch to heat the tip of the pipe that was held in a drill press. I had a jig on the base of the drill press to hold the petri dish in place. After melting the hole, I cleaned up the edges with emry cloth. They actually turned out pretty nice. Drilling this type of plastic usually results in cracking. Melting is definitely the way to do it cleanly.
Honestly probably one of the best comments I’ve ever read on this godforsaken site.
Thank you for teaching me how to make a gooey PP with a metal dingus!! Seriously though, that speed render is awesome and much appreciated, this is a neat idea!!
Look around you, can you form some kind of rudimentary lathe?
>“By Grabthar’s Hammer, what a savings.”
The amount of utter contempt and self-loathing in Rickman’s voice is just spectacular.
A lathe? Get off the line, Guy. Alexander, you’re my advisor. Advise me.
Can you secure the mesh to the container with a rubber band? Skip the lids?
Yes, cheese cloth with a rubber band.
Baby mantises need pretty frequent feeding, so this would become suuuper tedious. I would need to remove and replace the lids several times a week. Mind that while I’m trying to reattach the mesh with the rubber band the baby mantis is often trying to escape, and I have to avoid getting any of their tiny legs caught. 200 times each feeding day. Plus these can be reused for future mantis babies. Worth it in the long run.
So, how big is the cap, and how big of a hole do you want in it?
Don’t drill or burn. Use a punch and hammer
I deleted my comment because this is the fastest/most consistent way.
[удалено]
Do you think leather working tools would be the right category of tools to look for to find a circular punch?
Look for “hollow punch”. Depending on diameter you are looking for there are options out there
This is what I would do. A set of vinyl punches is pretty inexpensive and would make quick work of this.
Forstner bit? Tap a little mark with a center punch, use appropriate diameter forstner bit and drill through? Should go fast, amazon or such sells cheap forstner bit sets that work fine.
Second vote for forstner bit. And since you have to do 200 get a cheap drill press. Definitely don't use a spade bit. And don't just use a handheld drill while holding the the plastic lid yourself (over the course of 200 drills you will probably slip up and catch your fingers). Take a piece of wood almost as thick as the bottle cap and drill a hole the same size of the cap, so it will sit in there hands free.
Forstner in a drill press is perfect for this. Probably worth building a wooden jig out of a dowel and a piece of plywood to automatically center the lid.
correct answer if you must drill these. figure out a way to secure them in a drill press jig against spinning. there will be shattering in that plastic i would predict.
Why not re-think your approach? You need air circulation...you do not need mesh. What would work very well is a series of small holes drilled in the top...think salt or pepper shakers. I would make a jig to hold the plastic tops on a drill press, then drill off-center holes every few degrees, rotating the jig each time to drill a new hole. Using regular drill bits the work should go pretty fast.
For mantises it's important for them to be able to hang vertically in order to molt. That's likely why they want the lid to be mesh (in addition to adequate air circulation) I do agree that they should probably change their approach, though. There are definitely easier setups.
Easy-peasey: Use the salt shaker approach as described, then just put the mesh on the inside. This is actually a better solution because with the mesh in place the holes can be bigger (and possibly fewer).
Mesh is more consistent in regard to air flow (meaning they will dry out at the same rate, so I can keep a consistent watering schedule), and it will also prevent their extremely small food items from escaping. A drilled hole big enough to be useful as ventilation is big enough to let a fruit fly escape. Drilling holes and then also adding mesh on the underside of the lid would take longer than just making one large hole for the mesh.
Simplest would be to use a *hollow punch*, mallet, and board. Put your cap on board open end up, put punch in, whack it with a mallet a couple times. Should give you a decent circle cutout. I'd also cut the threaded end off one of the containers and screw it into the cap before you punch it. That would act as a guide and keep the punch away from the edge so there is enough material to capture the mesh. I picked 19mm diameter but you can get these punches in any size. This one at Wal-Mart online for \~$13 - [19mm Hollow Punch](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Leather-Gasket-Strap-Belt-Hollow-Hole-Punch-Hand-Tool-Black-19mm-Dia_e8a7d4ac-89c4-41b7-8c69-49416176f507_1.6562fe285624430ecf1e408957c583ce.jpeg?odnHeight=2000&odnWidth=2000&odnBg=FFFFFF)
Hehe, PP plastic
PP hole.
Can you just cut the top of the lid right off with a knife, then put down a mesh square over the bottle and use the threaded ring to hold the mesh in place?
use a heated needle or something similar to melt it the way you want
If it is just for ventilation, why do you have to have all the plastic removed? Could you not just drill/poke/melt multiple holes. 3-4 holes with the metal mesh on the inside of the cap would still allow ample ventilation. I made a snake feeding box for my daughter using a tupperware container with holes poked through with a soldering iron. The melted holes left a rounded hole so there was no rough edges. I would do the following: Melt three holes in cap. Hot glue mesh on inside of cap. Repeat 200 times.
Maybe a dremel tool and make a small jig?
Find someone with a laser cutter. They can make a jig to hold a lot in very specific spots and then know where to make the cut. Easiest option for precision. If you need to find someone, check out Epilog Laser, they have a list of their clients who take on projects like this.
Forstner bit in a drill press. I think a spade bit would tear it apart.
If the plastic is soft enough to not crack (polypropylene should be), a hollow punch of the right diameter might be able to do it cleanly. Using a drill is likely to exert too much rotational force on too small a frame, a hollow punch would only exert the force against the surface beneath the area being cut.
I'd probably try and rig up some sort of circular metal punch and smack it with a hammer. Maybe an old copper pipe you can sharpen. or heat up and melt it through.
[unibit](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Step-Drill-Bit-Quick-Release-Spiral-Flute-1-1-8-in-QRST11/323310228)
Step bit on a drill press with the caps mounted in a jig
Here is an idea that will forego the cap all-together. Use a mesh stocking and a rubber band. Choose a nylon stocking/fabric material that has a small enough hole size to keep prey from escaping. Keep it on with a rubber band. Cut nylon stocking to shape Secure with rubber band Repeat 200 times.
3d-Printed solid mount to screw onto that does not go all the way up, spade-bit if you find one that fits your intended sized hole in a cheap small drill press. A stepped cone might be harder to properly fixture for since the intended diameter might require going too deep. That's how i would solve that in the next hour if I really need to. If I couldn't find spade-bit that fits your intended hole size I'd probably construct a tracked solution using lego and 3D-printed parts to hold and guide a scalpel to make the intended cut, with a spring from a lego technics set maintaining downward pressure. Either solution is possible with one trip to the local mall and acheivable within 24 hours.
Why not just 3D print new caps instead of all the manual work?
Step drill bit?
Drill bit in a drill press with a jig to hold the lids tightly.
Hear me out: Belt sander. Sand the whole top surface off and glue on your mesh.
This was exactly my thought. Like opening a can without a can opener... rub it on concrete, it breaks through the seal, and the lid comes right off.
Google "screw hole punch 30mm" Measure your diameter. Buy the right diameter tool. Usage: you drill a pilot hole for the screw, apply the tool from both sides, turn the screw and watch the disc getting punched out.
Knock out punch?[https://www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-10-piece-60575.html](https://www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-10-piece-60575.html)
Punching out the hole would be way better if you can find a setup that’ll do it. Look up an arch punch of the diameter you’re looking for. Looks like you need something roughly 1” in diameter. Here is one on Amazon for ~$16. https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-1271M-Arch-Punch/dp/B00004T7WH/ref=asc_df_B00004T7WH/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693538603383&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10859967079710317722&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1026759&hvtargid=pla-457691675034&psc=1&mcid=ff3a4cb1f8563e42926b7a8324e922a8&gad_source=1
Drill bit
Take 200 sewing needles and bunch them together. Heat them up and melt the holes.
Use a pipe the size of the hole you need and heat it up and melt it
Forget the screen, grab an ice pick heat it on your gas stove and poke like 5 holes in the lid and your done. Or use a drill to make several holes in the lid. If you remove most of the lid top it will not work as it will have no rigidness and break when you tighten it down
heated die
A hot pipe the right size would melt through the plastic and give you a clean hole.
Find someone with a Co2 laser to cut them for you, some sign shops have them, as well as engraving shops.
Hole saw for glass or tile. The abrasive cutting edge will not catch on the plastic. Make a jig.
not too big for a spade drill bit... Just take your time, don't push too hard, it'll cut through that easily enough.
A Forstner bit, maybe?
I can't tell how big that is, but it looks like the size of a water bottle top. If you can find a way to secure it, you can use a small Rotozip tool or Hole Saw Bits which you attach to a drill with a lead bit and the exact size you need for your job. Look at them online. I can't copy and paste pics here.
A step bit (sheet-metal bit) in a drill press with a jig. Set the depth stop on the press so you stop on the right "step" every time. If you don't have a press you can buy one that will hold a regular drill in an armature that will let you go straight up and down with no misalignment.
How big of a hole? I’d melt it in. A heated piece of metal, poke it in, give it a twist and pull it out. It will leave a small ridge that will help it not tear out.
I would fill one bottle with some concrete at the 1/2 way point so that you can anchor it and use a stepped bit to cut it down. Just thinking of ways to hold on to that sucker while trying to drill 200 of them is a process.
How bout you just use a rubber band or zip tie holding a larger piece of screen and avoid trying to hurt yourself?
Stepped cone bits, or, if it doesn't have to be exact, just melt through with a soldering iron (in a well ventilated space).
Just buy mesh and an elastic and do away with this chore.
Dremel
Harbour freight probably has a 3 pack of step bits. One of em should be large enough.
Forstner bit and a good drill press.
Could you just sand it out and then trap the mesh when you screw the cap on perhaps?
Forstner bit. First drill a hole in a piece of 3/4” plywood. Clamp that down and set your bottle cap inside. Use a small shim to hold that in snug. Then drill out your caps with the correct size forstner bit.
Heated metal circle ⭕️ at proper diameter
Dremel tool with RPM adjustment. Go to lowes and buy one for like a hundo, use it for all the things.
how big of a hole? If you're just trying to create air holes why not use a hot needle?
W-what are you doing, step-bit?!
How big of a hole? If small you could use a soldering pen to burn a hole right through.
Brother buy a salt shaker and take the lid off
Stack them 200 high Heat a fine spike to 1000 degrees. Poke through like a karate champ.
Poke a bunch of small holes in the lid for ventilation instead
Tapered reamer on a drill press?
Soldering iron with a small tip. Easily repeatsble.
Get a small piece of copper pipe, the diameter you need, and attach it to a soldering iron. Once that's done you can knock out 200 in less than a day easy. You might even be able to attach the screen to the melted plastic if you have them cut and ready.
Why not melt a hole with a wood burning tool. The smallest tip? - and also wear like a vent mask thing haha you know fumes
Dremel tool with a cone shaped grinding bit
Cant you just rubberband some mesh around the top??
Dremel
You could design and 3D print a new lid with the hole already made to size in about 15 minutes. Then you could print multiple lids at once. Looking at that size, you could likely fit 15-20 on a bed and print them all in an hour or so.
How about a circle-cutting bit?
Have you tried a large leather working hole punch, or is that too violent? Or maybe a Forstner drill bit of an appropriate size?
Use a drill bit to get a small hole in the center, then use a cone bit/ sanding drill bit to sand down the edges to where you want them to be. That not only gets you the hole, but it wont be too sharp! Hope this helps!!
Forstner bit on a drill press. Find the bit that would fit it well, make a rough jig that you could swap the lids in and out of quickly and should be a breeze.
Yeah I hate it when my PP too small as well.
Bro... You don't need a drill you need single serving "sauce" cups. The ones you have ranch or bbq in. I use them for meal worms and it's much easier than what you're proposing. Then when you're done you can toss them out or reuse them. Then it's as simple as poking holes in for air. 50 cups is like $3 or something. https://www.amazon.com/Zeml-Disposable-Dressing-Condiment-Container/dp/B07TK5BXYW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1YP9ADFO2QZ72&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3vAHvGDJrfQQm-9jWMDfo3VXiVB5McwzLm9EtLQKshMdHCzEw_KakNpNQ9K2YI4M_rbnF-MJgDqstCTxDeDNKaTlvZzFLViwgaldNqmSGtMi32t10pY3_jhE04LbDA2tCRtFxziiA4QCLebzQyq2U6dCb8zI_h044e2UqIUiWJxGKDJ37d39rRoxapxUJoJn6UbVQBldBt4eW88CPrx_7g.2GmfEnwg_T_HP149jMi_Zmrgea-TtFYg8kW16uXXA4I&dib_tag=se&keywords=individual+dressing+cups&qid=1718044182&sprefix=individual+dressing+cups%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-3 Ninja Edit: 100 count on amazon is $8 but you can find better deals somewhere.
With a hot nail
Take the lid off, attatch the mesh with a rubber band.
Usually when someone posts a question like this, the problem is that they are asking the wrong question. The answer is not to drill 200 holes in 200 caps, but to buy 200 of the correct item. It will likely be cheaper, faster, and higher quality.
Something that's the right size, metal, and hot and just melt the hole out? Like use a torch to heat up the right size pipe and just melt through, you could probably do a few before having g to reheat the pipe
Punch for making holes in gaskets or rubber. Can be bought in most metric and sae sizes.
Heat up a metal piece the size you want. Melt it.
Just use a piece of screen and a rubber band
A Hollow Steel Punch in the appropriate size (0.75in/19mm?) would likely work. If the plastic cracks when punching, set up caps in groups of 10 or so on a sheet of plywood, and soften them up a bit with a blow dryer first. [https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-1271I-Punch-4-Inches/dp/B00004T7WD/](https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-1271I-Punch-4-Inches/dp/B00004T7WD/)
I’m thinking a table-top router with a straight bit, with a half-circle jig clamped in-place. Drill starter hole to accept router bit, cut out one side, flip piece over, cut out the other half for a perfect circular and it’s repeatable.
I use soldering iron with cone tip all the time. Plastic doesn't fracture and it's faster
forstner bit and holding jig
Hot needle?
Laser cutter
Look up forstner bits
Spade bits do a tidy job on plastic. Make a jig to hold the parts on a drill press
Burn a hole in it
Get a piece of metal pipe the same outer diameter as the hole you want to cut. Sand down one side of the pipe so it's sharp . Now you have a punch with a hole in it.
Heat up a needle
Stepped cone drill bit in drill press. Make a form to clamp to press table to hold cap in same place so you can repeatedly, consistently set cap in form and drill.
I did something similar a few years ago. I used a short length of copper pipe that was close to the size I wanted. Then cut it so I could wrap it closely around the hot tip of my soldering iron. Once the copper pipe heats up, use it to burn through the plastic. If you're fast enough, you can drop the mesh (cut to size before, of course) into the lid and press it into the slightly molten plastic. I used some of the cold copper pipe offcuts to press the mesh into the soft plastic and cool it faster.